Drag Racing Online - Agent 1320

SCHUMACHERS ADD THE RICHARDS AT INDY
Not only did Don Schumcher and NHRA Winston Topp Fuel champ son Tony notch the U.S. Army as sponsors for their dragster, but they also signed on Tim & Kim Richards as advisors to crew chief Dan Olson for the remainder of the year. Furthermore, in 2001, the Richards will head up the rumored Army Funny Car team for the Schumachers, where an even further removed driver will be U.S. Nationals Funny Car low e.t. qualifier Tommy Johnson Jr.

PRO STOCK TRUCK RACING IS NOT CHEAP!
So you think that Pro Stock truck is an entry level Pro Class? Think again. Agent 1320 got an earful from a couple of the P/S competitors at Indy about the cost of racing in the class. A rolling chassis goes for about $75,000. Want a Bill Jenkins power plant? You have to buy two and the cost is about $175,000 for the pair. The Agent was told that Reid Whisnant recently purchased a used Jenkins small block and left $95,000 lighter in the wallet. Now for the real capper, Pro Stock truck pays at most races $1,200 to qualify and $200 for each round won. The winner gets $4,000 to win before contingency. Brother, what is wrong with this picture.

NO ALKY CLASSES AT SOME NHRA EVENTS IN 2001
Agent 1320 hears that the alky classes are due for some bad news. The rumor is that due to the lack of blown alcohol entries at some NHRA National events, especially in the flopper class, NHRA has either decided or is considering dropping the blown alky classes at selected National Events next year.Is this the first step in eliminating the alcohol classes from National Events altogether? As expensive as it is to build and race these cars on a National Event level the agent thinks this is a distinct possibility.

GOOSEHEAD GOING ROUND AND ROUND
Although Goosehead.com has committed to back Shirley Muldowney at the NHRA World Finals, don't look for that Internet company to back Ms Muldowney on a full time basis. The Agent was told that the Goosehead.com people would like to take their act over to NASCAR. Maybe they can find room in the 2001 budget to send Shirley to a couple more NHRA races as well as have a presence at NASCAR. By the way, the Agent got to spend just a moment with Richard Dreyfus. He seems to be a genuinely nice guy.

BILL BADER AND BRUTON SMITH IN NEGOTIATIONS?
We keep hearing that Bruton Smith and Bill Bader are having meetings. Rumors at Norwalk Raceway Park had Bader selling a percentage of IHRA to Smith. DRO thought that made no sense and Bader denied it, telling DRO that when he did sell it would be 100%. Sources told DRO that Smith and Bader were having meetings discussing the possibility of an IHRA National Event at a track in Ft. Worth, Texas should Mr. Smith build that long-rumored facility.

PRO MOD RACERS MEET WITH NHRA AT U.S. NATIONALS
Agent 1320 hears that at least one current IHRA Pro Modified racer (Jim Oddy) and one former competitor (Scotty Cannon) had unofficial talks with NHRA concerning Pro Mods at NHRA. The Agent heard that the one thing that all parties agreed on was that none of the current hitter Pro Mod drivers have any interest in coming over to NHRA as Sportsman racers. Their basic feeling seems to be "Been there, done that, don't want to go back."

NHRA PRO MOD INDEX?
The Agent also hears that if NHRA brings Pro Mods in as Competition Eliminator cars they will run on a 7.10 index. If that happens and NHRA doesn't adopt IHRA rules, it ought to be interesting to see how far under the index the blower cars could qualify compared to the nitrous cars.

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